9, The Dawn of Darkness
by BloodandRosePetals
Summary: After the deaths of 9's friends, there was finally peace on the earth. Or so they thought. One day when they found a dwelling in which to live to hide from the rain, 9 begun having the feeling of being watched...But weren't they alone? - If there are any errors or if there is anything you don't understand, please inform me about them and i will fix it as soon as i can.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

As the four of them watched and gazed in amazement as the newly born rain fell from the sky, they all knew the world then truly was theirs. And it was what they made of it. Therefore, they had to make a few changes. But before they could, they would need to find another shelter. One that was stable enough to withstand the pouring rain.

Eventually, they did find a place. They found it near the middle of town. It was not exactly the best and it needed a lot of fixing up, but it would have to do.

9 and 7 were patching up the holes in the roof when 9 started feeling strange.

"Hey, 7?" 9 asked curiously. "Where are 3 and 4? I hadn't seen either of them for about an hour now."

"Oh," 7 replied, "they're wandering around here somewhere. Why?"

"I really don't know. I just got...worried suddenly." 7 stopped what she was doing and looked up at 9.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. "Why so worried?"

"Well," He screwed the last bolt into the thin shaped metal that held up a piece of the wall and stepped down from the thick dictionary under his feet, "I'm just not quite sure why."

Gazing up at the tall ceiling of the large home, he sighed. 9 had lied to 7. He had not been feeling that way out of the blue. He had felt that way ever since they had released their friend's souls to the afterlife two months before. And he really had no idea why. Everything was now peaceful...

"Will you be okay, 9?" 7 asked uneasily.

"Yeah, of course," he lied. "I'll be okay. I just need to go for a walk is all. It's only drizzling anyway. It's the perfect time to. Better go now before it gets any harder."

"Well...alright. Be careful, then. I'll see you when you get back."

"Thank you. I need this." Turning around swiftly, he walked away from her. 7 called as he walked out the door, "Don't take too long! You know how I worry!"

She knew she did not have to worry about 9. He could fend for himself just as well as she could. But she did anyway.

"I'll just take twenty minutes, thirty minutes tops," he called back. 9 probably needed longer than that to cool his nerves, though.

* * *

Making his way to the bridge that over passed a running river, his mind kept racing for some reason. Several times, 9 tried to get his mind to calm itself. But, he could not.

As he arrived at the entrance to the bridge, he stopped in his tracks. 9 felt a cool breeze blowing on the back of his neck. He peeked over his shoulder. And peering into the nothingness behind him, he said to himself, "You're just paranoid. Stop it..."

Rubbing the back of his neck he continued his walk. Often glancing down below him in between the cracks of the thick wood, he spotted the rushing river below. It was large. About two feet wide.

Reluctantly after a while, he became a little less tense as he glanced at the dark swirling sky, felt the rain fall upon his shoulders, watching as the river seemed to get bigger and bigger the longer he gazed at it...But all the tension urged its way back when something moved in the shadows.

He jumped in fright.

"Hello?" he said nervously. Silence.

Searching desperately with his eyes, he could not see anything in the darkness of the shadows. When he went to say hello again, the shadows moved once more this time knocking something over. Something metal. It made a loud sound as it hit the ground.

Silence again.

Rhythmic continuous patter began to sound lightly on the wood beneath his feet. Wondering where that strange sound was coming from, he felt as if he was not alone. Eerie, the air was still, and the sound kept getting louder and louder.

A hand suddenly touched his shoulder. He gasped hoarsely and spun around quickly to find 3 and 4 standing side by side. Harmless.

"You scared me!" he tried to chastise them. But there was no way he could to 3 or 4. "What are you guys doing back here for anyway?" They urged him to go over to the edge of the bridge by grabbing his arms and shoulders. 9 chuckled as he moved along to side of it. He now could hear as the river roared beneath. And he could see a waterfall far in the distance.

"It's very beautiful." 3 and 4 shook their heads, agreeing verily. "So, this is why you come here? To see this?" They shook their heads again.

"Well," 9 continued, "I don't blame you for not coming back to the shelter. This is amazing, thank you for showing me...oh, and before I forget, 7 might need some help. I left her alone. Do either of you mind going back for a while to see if she needs any help?" They both looked at each other and flashed their eyes. Then, looked back at him and shook their heads a third time, this time saying that they were more than willing to help out 7.

Leaning onto a horizontal rail, he gazed off into the dark orange and brown distance and sighed. Often glancing down at the small patches of grass and vegetation no bigger than himself and the amazing river that led to the waterfall far off into the distance, he began to think about its beauty. And his belief that, soon, it will fill up the grounds. Just like the mural he saw a while back when 5 showed him. Oh, how he missed 5 so much...

A sudden clinging noise came from his right. He turned in curiosity.

3 and 4 were sent to 7 about twenty yards in the other direction of the noise. Therefore, it could not have been them. He was completely alone. Or was he?

The noise sounded again. This time, it sounded closer. 9 was very nervous to see what was hidden in the shadows because, now, he could see small beady eyes. Red eyes. Eerie red eyes, seeming to seep their way into his soul.

Abruptly, the eyes came closer to him. And the closer they came, 9 began to feel pressured to run. He kept glancing behind him to see if he could pick out a path in case if he had to run.

9's breathing became erratic from tension in his chest. His hands could not stop shaking.

Without warning, the strange pair of eyes came out of the darkness revealing a small mass. He gasped hoarsely. But he soon realized what it was.

It was a mouse. It was no bigger than a small rock. The little mouse was so adorable with its whiskers twisting and moving in the air as he chew on something holding it up to his small mouth with his little paws.

When 9 made a slight awe at the rodent, It turned to him. Frightened, it dropped the thing it was chewing on and ran back into the darkness. But there was no reason to be afraid of 9. He kneeled down slowly and stuck his hand out in front of him showing that he was not a threat.

"It's alright," he said softly and assuring. A full minute passed by before the mouse finally crawled back out of the shadows and inched its way to him. When the tiny mouse reached him, 9 rubbed his head slowly and gently. "See? It's alright."

He wondered for the longest time where the mouse even came from. It was a baby. Meaning, there was a mother. And probably more mice to be found. So, there _was_ life other than he and his friends, he supposed.

The ground shook and the sky suddenly rumbled, scaring the mouse off for good this time. 9 looked up. The sky was now dark, black as pitch, with gray clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see. The rain then came down again. Harder this time.

9 felt a lot better though it was starting to rain again. Maybe that was all he needed was a calm walk. And a little assuring that there was more life on the planet. But as he stood up straight and turned around ready to head back to the shelter to get out of the rain, the strange feeling that he was being watched came back to him.

He sighed in frustration. And shook the feeling away.

Grabbing a nearby cloth, he covered himself with it making as a shield from the rain. Jogging down the bridge hurrying to get back home, he urged himself forward. Though he was away from the bridge where the strange feelings had begun, as he got closer and closer to his shelter, he still could not shake the fact that someone was watching him. Somewhere deep in the shadows...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Entering the shelter, he walked into the room where 7, 3, and 4 were sitting having a conversation. 7 leaped from her seat when 9 had come in having been frightened for some reason. But when he slid the cloth off of his shoulders, she regained calmness.

"9..." she said relieved. "You scared me with that cloth...Sorry. I thought you were someone else." Someone else? Who else could he have been?

"I'm sorry that I scared you. I just had to protect myself from the rain, that's all. And it's raining really hard outside now. We'd better patch up the rest of the holes in the ceiling before it leaks through." 9 tried to sound as solemn as he could. But he just could not help but to think why 7 seemed so startled when he came in. She was never scared.

They finally patched every hole in the roof. And it was a good thing too. The river had begun to flood it was raining so much. The best that they could do to cover the damages was with plastic and nails. But it worked. Still, It would have been so much more convenient if 8 was still alive...

9 found the basement to be very roomy and calm. The temperature was quite cool. And the air was still. He kept glancing down at the huge crater in the concrete floor as he sat on the edge pandering on how deep it actually went.

9 found himself flipping through some pages of an old book he found lying all by itself on a far up shelf. They were to no use for him. But at least it gave him something to do.

Flipping through the pages a little faster now, he found a crevice near the middle of the book arousing his interest. He gripped the small slit and flipped the pages to the particular section thus revealing a folded up piece of paper. 9 picked it up intrigued and unfolded it slowly.

It was beautiful. The piece of paper he had unfolded showed a beautiful and colorful drawing. A drawing consisting of a few grassy knolls and a tree on the left side. Looking closely, he realized that was the same picture as the mural that 5 showed him. That picture had too much sentimental value to just let it sit there wasting away. And so, he kept it.

He used a few tacks to hang it up on the wall. Standing back from it, he scanned his eyes over the picture studying every aspect of it. He loved it. And knowing he would not take it down any time soon, he cleared the area and pushed a wedge of wood in front of it to make as a chair. After he arranged and organized a few more things, 9 felt at home for the first time in his life.

When he walked back upstairs, he spotted 7 who was sitting with her back to the wall. She had her head down thoughtfully.

Anxious, 9 kneeled down beside her.

"7?" he asked calmly. She did not look up. That was when 9 noticed a picture in her lap. "Are you alright? What's the matter?" 7 did not look up for a few minutes. But when she tilted her head up, she kept her eyes on the picture.

"I'm alright," she said finally, her voice surprisingly calm and normal. "I'm just a bit spooked is all."

"So, what's the matter?" She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it trying to think of the correct words to say.

"Well," she began smoothly, "before you came in a few hours ago, 3 and 4 had come running seeming nervous..." 9 was surprised. When he had commanded them from the bridge to go help 7, they seemed fine. Happy. "...I asked them what was wrong and they told me that they saw someone out on the bridge. I was actually happy because of the fact that they told me they saw _life_ other than ourselves, you know? But they told me that the life they saw seemed bad to them. Not good..."

"Now, how could the life they saw be bad?" 9 asked curiously. "That sounds like wonderful news to me."

"That's what I told them. But then they drew this." She handed 9 the drawing. In awe, he stared at the extreme detail and of every portion on the drawing. It was darkly sketched with long shadows. A small figure stood upright in the center of the page that had very long arms, and was wearing a cape-like coat without sleeves that draped down around its ankles. A hood rested on its head with a heavy shadow over its face only showing two diabolic red eyes.

The sketch resembled something 6 might have drawn in the past…

9 was certain now. His feelings weren't just feelings. 7, 3, and 4 had all been as scared as him. And the drawing…they apparently weren't seeing things either. That drawing had too much detail and time put into it for them to have been seeing things. And they would not lie about something that serious. This was real. But who did they see?

The next night was calmer. No rain showered. Therefore, 9 went on a hunt to find the thing that 3 and 4 saw that scared them all so dearly. He arrived at the bridge not five minutes after he left home. 9 searched everywhere for the figure there trying to use the descriptions he saw on the drawing to help him. But he did not find it. He did not even find any mice or other living beings. Just rubble.

He kept glancing over at the roaring river to his left until he got tempted enough to walk over to it. Leaning on the horizontal pole as he did the day before gazing at the beautiful river, he felt peaceful once again. There was no figure. There was no threat. Nothing.

However, a large crash sounding to his right made everything change. And it sounded close. Was it the figure?

He turned to the noise a little excited. But he could not see anything through the darkness. A small moan made its way through the sound of the roaring river forcing a chill trickle down 9's back. A bit braver than last time, he inched his way into the shadows thinking he would see another adorable mouse. But he did not.

Instead, a person like himself stood before him. 9 gasped in surprise and astonishment. It was a real person. And he was staring straight at him. He tried to keep his calm, but he was too astounded.

The details to this man were very intriguing. Five black paint lines about a fingers space apart stretched from his brow to the back of his head. His body was small. Feeble-looking. Beside him in his hand a long thin rod stood resembling a cane or walking stick. The man reminded 9 more of 1 than anything else.

After a few more seconds of the silent gaze, the man tried to step forward. But his foot somehow twisted underneath him, and he began to fall. 9 caught him before he hit the ground and stood him back upright.

"I'm so sorry…" the man apologized.

"No, no, its alright." 9 grabbed for his cane that he had dropped and handed it to him. "Here you go."

"You are so kind. Thank you." His voice resembled 1's voice, too. "Who are you?"

"I'm 9." He grabbed his hand and shook lightly.

"It's an honor. I'm 10."

Unzipping his pouch, 9 grabbed for the drawing and held it out to 10. "You haven't happened to see this creature, have you?"

10 did not even have to examine the sheet. One quick look and he pushed 9's hand away.

"What's wrong?" 9 asked. It took a little while for 10 to respond.

"Who drew this?"

"One of my friends. She spotted him and drew this right away. Have you seen him?"

"Yes, I have."

"Really? Oh, that's great news! This guy has been scaring my friends and…"

"9?" His tone of voice changed. 10 sounded more stern with his words than before. "You must stay away from this thing. He is not the kind of person you'd like to meet."

"How come?"

"Because...he is evil."

"Evil?"

"_Very_ evil, 9." He was surprised at the harsh tone in the old man's throat. "This creature is a murderer. He kills everything and anything in sight. He even tried to kill _me_...He is very different than you and I. For he has powers."

9 scoffed. "Powers?"

"Don't you mock me. I know I'm old, but I hadn't gone crazy yet...He can jump at extreme heights, he has the strength of twenty humans...Please, you must believe me. Now, I cannot speak anymore of this. He might be listening...Just stay _clear_ away from him. Understand?"

"Yeah, got it."

"I must go." The man turned and began to walk away. And as he did, he said, "It was nice meeting you, anyway."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Anxious, 9 returned home. 7 was pinning up a large cloth that covered a hole in the wall when 9 tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around.

"Hey, 9!" she said brightly. "Did you find the figure?"

"No…" he told her sadly. "But I did find someone else." 7 gave an intrigued look.

"Really?"

"Yeah! His name is 10. He's very, very old which one of the interesting things about him. He seems to be even older than 1 was." 9 only thought that was interesting when 10 told him his name was because awhile back, 9 figured out that everyone's name went in numerical sequence. 1 was the first one ever to be created by the scientist. Therefore, his name was 1. And 2 was the second. Therefore, his name was 2. And so on and so forth. So, it aroused 9's curiosity.

"Oh, wow...Where is he now?"

"I'm not sure. He left as quickly as he came. But he told me about the creature that 3 and 4 saw." 7's expression changed. She stepped down from the book she had been using as a stool.

"What did he say?"

"Well…" 9 did not really want to tell her what 10 had told him. How evil the figure was and how he was a murderer. That would have sounded a bit much. "…10 said that the figure is a _very_ bad person. And I believe him. So, just stay away from the figure. You _and_ the twins."

"9, you know I can take care of myself..."

"I know you can. But I worry..."

"I'll be fine." She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But if you feel that worried and if this thing really is that bad, then I'll be careful." 9 grabbed her hand in gratitude and told her sincerely, "Thank you."

* * *

That next morning, 9 stayed in the basement and fixed up a few things trying his best to calm his nerves. But in the end, he just felt too concerned for 3 and 4's safety. If this monster is as dangerous as 10 said he was, they would never have stood a chance.

Maybe, I should go and find 10, he thought. I must know more to protect my family.

First, he checked the bridge. He wasn't there this time, of coarse. Therefore, 9 traveled farther. Passing few grassy patches and blooming flowers, he took only a moment to marvel at its beauty then continued his search.

9 had come across a partially destroyed three story house that was very familiar to him. It was his old home. He could remember the body of his creator, the Scientist, wasting away on the third story floor; now months later possible skin and bones. Still to that day, he wished that he could have met him. But then again, maybe it was better that way. Maybe it was better not to know…

Just when he made it up the first step, he heard someone calling, "Wait!"

9 turned to the voice. There was no one.

Just then, 10 poked his head out from behind a scrap metal wall.

"Hey!" 9 called cheerfully to 10. "I have to talk to you-"

"I would not go in there if I were you!" He sounded serious.

"What's the matter?" 9 jumped down from the step and walked over to him.

"Come! Hide!" 10 grabbed 9's forearm and pulled him behind the wall and out of sight. "You should not go in there! The figure lives there!"

"That's not possible," 9 argued. "That was where I woke up. That was my home."

"Well, of coarse! That was all our home." His tone grew softer. "But not anymore. The figure lives there now." He turned to leave.

"Wait! I just have a few questions. About the figure. I just wanted to know more about him."

"9," he grumbled changing the subject. "I told you that I can not be speaking with you…"

"But why not?!"

"Because _he_ is listening. Now go back home!" He began to walk away.

"Please!" He kept on. 9 thought on his feet. "How about we go somewhere where he isn't listening?" 10 stopped. And turned his head half way. "I just want to know more about this thing so that I can protect my friends." Thinking on what 9 told him, he took in a long heavy sigh, and said wearily, "Fine…Come with me."

* * *

They walked for a very long while. 9 kept a close eye on 10 as he walked afraid he might fall again as he did before. He was so old and fragile, it worried 9 that he might not have made it any further. But they finally stopped at a small fort. It was a small cardboard box only reaching just above 9's head. And, inside, it did not have much furniture. But it had a small bed in the back corner. Judging by the interior, he thought, Is this where he lives?

10 sat down on a large spool and set his walking stick to his right. 9 sat down across from him and immediately began asking the first question.

"What do you know about the figure? Anything useful you could tell me would be great."

He cleared his throat.

"Well, he was like us once. A normal person. I think I made him angry a long time ago. I don't know exactly what i did, though. In the beginning, we were fine friends. But one day he snapped. He despised me; loathed me…It was like I was the bane of his existence. And he tried to kill me. Just as I said before. And I'll tell you exactly what he did." 9 scooted closer, already enthralled. "One night when I was sleeping, he drug me out of bed and took me to the very top of a steel beam tower." 9 gasped.

"What did you do?"

"Well, I was young then. Strong. And you would have expected me to do _something_ at the least. But he was too strong for me. The only thing I could do was reckon with him. To settle a deal. The deal was that if he did not hurt me, then I would leave him and the scientist forever."

"And what happened?"

"He agreed. After that night, I left and never went back. Not even to retrieve any of my personal belongings."

"Wow…how long ago was that?"

"Oh, dear…" He readjusted himself and sat up straighter. "…a very long time ago. It happened long before you or any of your friends were ever created."

"You know about my friends?"

"Well, two of them; 1 and 2. But more on that later…"

"Wait! Could you tell me more about that?"

"No." His voice was stern. "You asked about the figure. And that is what I shall talk about." 9 slumped down a little disappointed. "…That was when the figure went completely insane. He started ripping himself apart starting with his mouth, then his face, then the rest of him." 9 winced. "I don't know how he is alive now. And I don't care." 10 paused for a moment and lit the remaining candle that sat in between them with a burning match. Then, he cleared his throat and started again.

"Oh, and I almost forgot," 10 rolled his eyes at his thought. "He has a nasty habit of finding rats and making them into pets." 9 grinned at the remembrance of the adorable mouse. "These rats start off small and harmless. But after realizing there isn't much food, they are driven insane from extreme hunger and fear. Now, they are hideous; half-alive and disease infested. Having no soul as they kill anything for survival or simply just for pleasure." 9's grin went away. "He has found thousands of them. And of those thousands, several hundred have dies from disease or had been eaten alive by another. I don't know why he insists on keeping these repulsive beasts alive. Maybe it is because they remind him of himself." 10 chuckled at the last sentence. If it were possible, the figure seemed even worse than 9 imagined.

"I-i-is there anything else?" 9 stammered. "Like, back when you were young?"

"He had kept most to all of his entire life a secret. So, I don't quite know. I wished we could have been friends. But he decided to change."

Gazing down at the drawing that laid in his palms, the drawing only showed a black form and red eyes. That made another question come to mind.

"From this picture, I can't really tell what he looks like...?"

"Well, I had not seen him in such a long time. But I can tell you what I remember. Let me think...he has very long arms; the bend of his elbows are a little bit lower than they should be. He walks with a noticeable limp…" A brief, dissonant noise sounded from above them.

"What was that?" asked 9 curiously. It could have been anything to 9. But 10 probably knew that place much better than he did. 10 got up and peeked out of the small fort. He then gasped and fell backwards, stunned. 9 caught him as he fell.

"It's here!"

"What is?" The only thing that it could have possibly been was the figure. "The figure is here?!"

"No, no! It's…" Before he could finish his sentence, the ceiling caved in on top of them. Fortunately, the fort was light enough that neither of them were injured.

9 looked up. It wasn't the figure.

The Cat Beast. It wasn't dead after all. But how?

"You have to go!" 10 hollered trying desperately to get off the ground. "Hide!" Without hesitation, 9 turned and was about to run. But just then, a flashback came to mind. It was of 2 when he first found him. After 2 had given him a voice, they both heard a strange sound coming from somewhere out in the emptiness.

"What was that?" 9 asked. 2 gasped.

"Hurry!" said 2 quietly. "Get in the can. Go on!" Doing as he was told, 9 climbed inside.

He peeked out a large opening in the side and found 2. And there, an enormous monster stood towering behind him. It appeared to be a skeleton with metal attachments. It was ugly and had glowing red light shining through as its eyes.

2 turned around quickly holding his spear firmly in his hands. But he could not do anything quick enough for the might of the Cat Beasts paws had knocked him backwards. He hit the far wall with great force. After he hit the ground, he was motionless. Vainly, the monster scooped 2 up into its mouth and bounded away.

9 remembered that day. And he felt so guilty. He still could have done something, but he didn't. He was not going to let that happen again to someone else. Not again…

He picked up a large rock and tossed it at the creature as hard as he could before it had a chance to grab 10. It hit directly, getting stuck in its eye socket. The creature directed his attention to 9. As if by instinct, 9 yanked a string from a wall of scraps to his right. Thus, releasing its grip on gravity and falling right on top of the creature just before it attacked.

9 had defeated the Cat Beast for good.

He would never have done something like that if 7 wasn't around. He would not have been able to without her guidance. But he did. 2 would have been proud.

10, after several moments of taken in large amounts of air, he worked his way over to 9 enthralled that he had just saved his life.

"9," he told him trying to keep his voice steady. "I am forever in your debt." Flattered, 9 told him, "No, you're not. I just owed a very important person, a close friend of mine, a favor."

10 gave a strange look. Then, he grinned.

"Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Oh, my…" 7 said startled. "Are you serious?" 9 nodded his head. "He's killed before?…He better think twice in coming for us. I swear-"

"I'm going to go and find him." 7's eyes grew wide.

"Why in the world would you want to do that?!" She smacked him in the arm lightly.

"7, I must stop him before he targets us and the rest of us die."

"No offense, but you wouldn't survive out there for a second without _me_," she told him with a smirk. That may have sounded a bit mean, but it was true. "And I'm more acrobatic and skilled than you are. I'd stand a better chance against this thing. I'm going instead."

Now livid, 9 told her, "No. You're not. You're staying. That's final." His voice was now firm. 7 was unmoved.

"9, don't you argue with me!"

"Just listen to me-"

"No, 9!"

"7-"

"Why do you insist going after a serial killer knowing you're no stronger than the twins!" He gripped tightly onto her shoulders and demanded, "I CAN'T LOSE YOU LIKE THE OTHERS!"

For the first time, 7 was scared.

He had never raised his voice to anyone before. Whenever she fought with 9, he was just as upset as she was. However, he was able to manage his anger. But this time, it was different. He was not going to watch her die because of her stubbornness.

He held her apologetically for scaring her and whispered something he had kept secret from her for a long time.

"9..." 7 looked deeply into his eyes.

"I need you to stay here and look after 3 and 4 for me while I'm gone." Then, he grabbed a few things and turned and left. 7 went and sat down on her bed holding onto the dark drawing of the figure. She said softly to herself, "Be safe."

Later she would burn it. But for now, rest.

* * *

The darkness came more quickly than he expected. The sky rumbled again, but no rain poured. He looked up to see lightning flash within a few large sad clouds and crackle across the purple sky down to earth. It lit up the ground for only a split second, then it became dark again.

The area around him didn't look familiar. The dirt road was long and zigzagged and dipped inwards in some places. there was a tall wire fence he hadn't seen before. But then he saw a familiar face among the rubble. He wanted to hide, but 10 had already laid eyes on him.

"Don't make me ask," 10 snarled slowly stepping his way.

"Just-uh-on a walk…" That was a terrible lie. 10 looked down at 9's spear and smirked.

"That isn't going to stop him, you know?"

"Well, I figured that-"

"Don't flatter yourself, that won't even leave a mark. You'll be dead faster than you'll know it. Why are you out here, again? I told you-"

"Look, I know you're just trying to help, but I don't care anymore. I'm going to protect what's left of my family even if I die in the process." 10 glared at 9 for a moment. But then it eased.

"I honor your commitment, 9." He sighed. "If you insist, I will tell you where he is." 9 smiled with glee. "You will find him on the bridge."

"The bridge?" 9's eyes narrowed in confusion. "I wouldn't think so. I just passed it-"

"Not that one, you fool…" 10 dug the end of his walking stick into the dirt. "That bridge you passed earlier was an overpass. It was made for people to walk on to get over the ditch underneath. The bridge he now lives on was made to transport vehicles. It's location is through there," 10 pointed behind him to a long wide rut in the dirt. "If you go down that path, you will see it on the other side. But I must warn you. "He will be very upset…" Continuously glancing at the bridge and at 10 as he walked away, 9 called, "Hey, 10?" He stopped.

The now irritated 10 turned back around and grumbled, "What is it _now_?"

"If you would for my sake…Could you tell me more about the figure before I go?"

10 scoffed.

"9. I am very old. I have to save my breath for another day…" 9 then gave a very sad look trying his best to get 10 to talk. It didn't take long before he said, "Fine, fine…Come. Sit."

10 took his time sitting down onto a small box-shaped object. 9 sat in front of him and waited for him to start.

"What else would you like to know?"

"Well…how dangerous is this guy, anyway?"

"He can destroy nearly anything he touches. He makes his victims endure numerous amounts of pain as they die a slow death. He loves to torture just as much as he loves to watch things die. And his powers I told you about? They are more than you could ever imagine…"

Again with the _powers_ nonsense, 9 thought.

"I had not seem them up close," he continued, "but when we were young, he could jump up to such extreme heights unlike anything I had seen before…and when he focused on something hard enough, it would float in mid-air!"

Maybe you're seeing things, old man. I mean, he may be a lot of things, but he's not a superhero…

"How come he's so crazy?" 9 digressed. "What happened to him that made him like that?"

"I can't really say…" He took a moment to continue. "You know, I think it might have been something that our friend, 2, had done a long time ago..."

"So, you did know 2, then? How come I'd not met you before, then?" 9 thought back on when he knew 2. If he did know him, then he wouldn't have had a chance to tell him before his untimely death anyway.

10 rubbed his temple.

"I did not want to open old wounds," he began grudgingly, "but I suppose I shall tell you about my past." 9 gave his undivided attention. "Although, yes, we knew your friend 2. But the 2 you knew is not the same person. The one we knew is female. And she was our friend." He looked away, thoughtful. "Everything was different then. Simpler. The world was still alive. It was just the three of us and the Scientist in his large home in the workshop. When I knew the Scientist, he was younger. Well, and live. But the figure told me he had aged quite rapidly when he created me. And I saw what he meant when he created 2. He told me the talisman had been stealing a small bit of his soul every time he created one of us. And each time, it made him older."

"Now, 2 was different," he continued. "Unlike us, she was shy. And quiet. Easily scared. Down to earth, full of hope…And very intelligent." That sounded a lot like 3 and 4. "The figure had begun spending more time with _her_ than with me after her awakening. I'm thinking why is that he might have had a crush on her…"

If 7 were there, she would have enjoyed that part of the story. She was one for sappy love stories.

"But one day, everything started changing. The figure had begun to act in a strange manner. At first, it was subtle. It began with blank stares. Usually when he would stop in the middle of a conversation, he would give a glazed-over expression for moments at a time. Sometimes taking up to minutes before he would snap out of it. Then, fidgeting began. He told me he had begun seeing things and feeling trickles on his skin. Sometimes he heard short high-pitched shrieking voices and smelled aromas, like burning coals or smoke from a fire, shortly afterwards. It continued for months until he finally cracked under all the pressure, finding any sharp object to hurt himself with. Eventually he tore himself apart, like I had told you before. And I lied before. Sadly, I do know how he survived. 2 unfortunately had found him like that; parts scattered across the ground. And seeing him like that had damaged her beyond prepare. Her short brown hair turned white and her tan skin turned pale. Her eyes, once full of hope and joy, had darkened with despair. She, too, had then lost her mind."

"Mad with mental brokenness, she figured out on her own a way to bring him back to life using the talisman. When he awoke for the second time, the figure was maddened with disbelief and horror in what she had done. He was now very minuscule compared to his old self and very ugly. And poor little 2, the girl he'd loved, looked like a ghost. They both disappeared; ran away, but not together. They were afraid the Scientist would not approve of them in the ways they had changed. I ran away also because they were right. Nothing was wrong with me, yet I had still been replaced by the newcomer; 1. That was _my_ number…Though, the new 1 resembled me in many ways. Looks, height, tone of voice…So, I suppose the Scientist _did_ like me. But what he had wanted he did not find in me. He wanted someone different. The same with 2. The new version of her was male, but everything else was mostly accurate. Although, he did not replace the figure. For he was the scientists favorite." When he finished. 9 said not a word.

10 stood up and turned his head back to him and said, "I think you should get going. You'd need to hurry up if you want to catch him." 9 didn't argue.

Both standing up, they shook hands.

"Thank you for your time," 9 told him. But there was one more question on his mind. Why he kept calling him by 'the figure' instead of his own number. Surly 10 would tell him his real name. But when he tried to ask, all 10 said was, "You don't need to know his name…" And before 9 could say another word, he had already walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Uneasiness fled over 9. It felt like being caught in a tide.

As he walked slowly down the road of the great bridge, he noticed several offal piles on the left and right sides of him. They appeared, not to be just shoved to the side to create a path but, to be made into several different contraptions. One pile looked to be almost art-like. Another held a curtain in place that hid a tiny living area.

A strange noise sounded. 9's phantom heart leaped inside his chest.

The sound was deep, muffled and scratchy. Almost like a grunt. Or a growl. Step by step, he made his way over to where he had heard the strange noise. It appeared to be coming from up a flight of makeshift stairs.

9 found that there was nowhere else to move once he made it to the top. It only went a foot in front of him and then stopped at a near vertical drop. And to his right was a wall covered in jutting nails and maggots creeping in and out through tiny holes. It was a dead end. But then he heard it again. Someone had cleared their throat.

There was a tiny opening in the sharp and slime-covered wall just big enough that someone very minuscule could fit through. Slowly, he moved toward it and peered through to the other side.

It was a small room.

Tubes and bowls that had many different kinds of colored liquids in them were clanked together and moved around on a long skinny table. 9 moved a little closer to the opening and spotted the backside of a small person.

It's the figure! 9 thought, hysteric with shock. Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm…

The figure poured a few jars of the liquid in a large bowl. He walked away with the bowl in his arms heading toward an enormous bin with a spout on one side. The closer the figure got to it revealed that the large bin was attached to a strange contraption. A skinny rope stretched through the middle of the bin. And on both of its sides, the ends of the rope rose up and ran through giant hooks that hung from above.

He dumped the liquid inside the bin. It made a metallic slushy noise when it hit the bottom of the container. He then tilted the bin over where the floor had a drop-off thus allowing the liquid inside to pour into a secondary container down below.

9 climbed back down the stairs to get a better look at what he was doing. When he cautiously rounded the corner, he almost leaped out of his own skin.

Hundreds of rats, sizes from as big as a rock to bigger than 9 himself, raced to the bin as fast as their short legs could carry them. Veracious, they fought each other ferociously to be the first to gulp down the liquid.

The mouse 9 saw before was harmless. Cute, even. These rats had long yellow chipped teeth, bloody gums, piercing red eyes, and greasy, oily fur. Their tiny bony fingers with long dirty nails grabbed greedily for the rim of the bowl. Their skin appeared to be infected with a severe case of mange. Puss-filled boils popped on their own leaking out blackened infectious tissue and chunks of old dried blood.

For some, the food in the bin wasn't enough. Several rats had begun eating themselves, other adult rats, and young offspring. For some rats, arms and legs and tails had been eaten partially showing bone and ripped muscle from the open flesh. For others, everything had been eaten completely. Leaving the skull or the spine of the tail behind.

With surprise and utter disgust, 9 went pale.

Unknowingly, 9 had been standing a little bit too far in the open. This caught the attention of one of the filthy rodents. Once spotted, it scampered his way with vicious intentions. It came at him fast, razor bladed mouth and beady red eyes ablaze like a beast from hell.

9 couldn't run fast enough. The ugly beast knocked over several heavy items charging through them like nothing as it raced to catch up with 9. One of the falling items had knocked 9 to the ground. With the rat hot on his trail, 9 grabbed frantically for a long pole with a broken sharp end. Once his fingers were wrapped around it, he turned onto his back. As the rat's head came down for the attack, the pole rammed through its windpipe straight into its skull. Broken bone shards scattered. Blood spattered all over 9.

He moved the beast over to his side and took in a deep quivery breath. Then, he looked down at the redness that covered him that was now seeping into his clothe skin.

What is this? 9 thought to himself.

It almost had a slimy texture and had a repulsing odor. The red was coming from the rat's head and was now oozing from it onto the ground making a pool of it beneath the rat. 9 felt overcoming nausea.

Dry heaving, he stumbled away.

When he glanced back at the body, the figure was now standing by it. The figure fell to his knees distraught that one of his beloved beasts was murdered. He turned his head to 9 with evil red glowing eyes. However, he didn't attack then.

The figure got to his feet and ran in the opposite direction.

9 was speechless. He was that close to the figure and he let him go with his life?


End file.
